It’s a new season.

And coach Jim Larranaga and the Hurricane basketball team are happy to have 2018-19 in the rear view mirror. The season was hampered in large part by an NCAA issue that kept top big man Dewan Hernandez sidelined the entire season, and the Canes finished 14-18 and had no postseason.

Hopes are high that will change this time around.

That’s in part because top scorer Chris Lykes is back at point guard (16.2 ppg, 3.2 assists) along with sharpshooter DJ Vasiljevic (11.8 ppg, 36.7 percent from three-point range).

“Chris is now a junior. It's hard to believe so much time has gone by so quickly. But he's been tremendous in his first two years. We expect him to be a very, very important leader for us, along with DJ Vasiljevic,” Larranaga said at Operation Basketball media day on Tuesday. “DJ is shooting to become the leading three-point shooter in school history this year, and we hope he achieves that goal because that means he's making a lot of threes.

“Between Chris and DJ, they're both closing in on 1,000 points in their career, and they've done a great job so far with a group of young guys that they compete against every day in practice.”

Lykes and Vasiljevic both weighed in with their thoughts on each other.

“This is my third year with DJ, and I'm starting to kind of feel for where he likes to get his shots, which really is anywhere, especially from three, but playing well off each other,” Lykes said. “If DJ doesn't have it, he's making a quick move and he has easy layups, but if he doesn't have it, he's kicking out. That's what we've been working on in practice is getting in the paint and kicking out for catch and shoot threes, which has been a real emphasis for us this year. But DJ is probably one of the best shooters I've ever seen.”

Vasiljevic? He said “Just to bounce back off Chris, I think we're playing really well together in practice and reading one another really well. I'm creating space on the floor for him really well. By me spacing the floor, it gives him an opportunity to go one-on-one. When my man does help, he does find me for the open shots. I think we're really connecting that way.”Larr

And the team will get a boost from former Oklahoma transfer guard Kam McGusty, who sat out last year per NCAA rules - he averaged 9.4 points while hitting 34.3 percent of threes in two years at Oklahoma (starting 25 games).

Plus there are a host of highly touted newcomers, other key returners and another transfer as well.

The graduate transfer is Keith Stone, who averaged 6.1 points and 3.9 rebounds last season before he tore his ACL Jan. 19. He started 39 games the last two years at UF and is working his way back off that injury.

The new freshmen faces: Isaiah Wong, forward Anthony Walker and Harlond Beverly. All three are highly regarded - Beverly and Wong are rated four-star prospects by Rivals.com with Walker a three-star.

“Whether you are a veteran player like DJ and Chris, who really know their role because they've been doing it for a long time, or a freshman who comes in and has to learn what his role is going to be - it's all about teamwork,” Larranaga said. “It's all about guys working together, identifying your role, and making a great contribution to the team effort.”

Other returners who can contribute are center Rodney Miller, who redshirted last year, center Deng Gak (2.5 ppg) and F Sam Waardenburg (5.3 ppg, 11 starts last year).

The losses from last season? Anthony Lawrence (12.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg), Zach Johnson (11.8 ppg) and Ebuka Izundu (10.9 ppg, 8.3 rpg).

Another new player on the roster is center Nysier Brooks, a senior who averaged 8.1 points and 6.3 rebounds last year while starting at Cincinnati. He has to sit out this year per NCAA transfer rules.

* The three-point arc was moved back a little bit. Asked about UM finishing sixth in the ACC in three-point shooting last year at 33 percent and how to get better percentages, Vasiljevic said, “I think we're emphasizing in practice to catch and shoot a lot because - the analytics coach talks about it a lot. The catch and shoot is the best three-point shot there is. So emphasizing that a lot in practice. And I think the guys are putting in work before and after practice of adjusting to the line. “Obviously, me being from a foreign country, being able to play at that three-point line before, so it doesn't really make a difference for me. I think the team's doing really well to adjust.” * Larranaga was asked to explain a new three-point practice drill that’s color coded: under 40 red, over 50 yellow.

“We believe the best way to evaluate a player is to make sure he's proficient at any level,” Larranaga said. “We have a very specific level. It's called five minutes of threes. If a player can average making 50 or more in five minutes, he gets the green light, meaning that that's a great shot for him and he should shoot it.

“If he is open, he should not hesitate. If he can average between 40 and 50, that's the yellow light. You need to shoot it with a little bit more caution. It may not be your best shot, but it's still something you can make. If you're under 40, it's not a good shot for you or our team, and that means you shouldn't shoot it. That's the red light. Under 40 on the average is a red light, not a good shot for you.”

* Entering his 36th season as head coach, what has Larranaga learned that has really stuck with him all this time?

“Honestly, you learn an awful lot throughout your life, whether you're a basketball coach or in any walk of life,” he said. “What I've learned is every job, whether it's as a coach, a player, a sports writer, a TV personality, what have you, that every job is challenging and that life is about handling those challenges, overcoming adversity, and working together with others to achieve goals.”